Session 6 Fall 2018 Primary Moses accepts God s call EXODUS 4 prepare PRAYER God, call me again to unfamiliar places, to paths that are unpaved, to ways that are unproven. For these are the paths that add richness to my soul, inspiration to my spirit, and steadfastness to my steps. Amen. PURPOSE STATEMENT To imagine responding to God s call STORY SUMMARY God gave Moses three signs so that the people would believe he was sent by God. Moses still asked God to send someone else. God promised that Moses brother Aaron would do the talking. With staff in hand, Moses and his family returned to Egypt. Moses and Aaron assembled the elders of the Israelites; they explained God s message and showed God s signs of power. The people believed and worshiped God. teaching tips for primary This is the second session in a nine-week series from the book of Exodus. Moses is still at the burning bush, trying to convince God that he is not ready or capable of doing what God wants him to do. Primary children can identify with Moses concerns. They are developing many new skills at this age, and are often reluctant or afraid to use those skills in a public setting. Some children in your group may share Moses fear of public speaking! Be sensitive to this, offering opportunities to respond chorally or with a raised hand rather than requiring every person to speak aloud to the large group. You could also have children talk in smaller groups at times. Find the Courage poster in the resource pack for use in Peace notes. Decide which Explore options to offer. Check Supplies and To do throughout this session to see what needs to be prepared. 36 / 6 Moses accepts God s call October 7, 2018
dig deeper by Andrea Saner A reluctant prophet Exodus 4:1 20 continues the call of Moses story from chapter 3. Moses has two more questions for God before relinquishing his resistance and heading out to Egypt. The story invites us to reflect on what God is calling us to do and how we can overcome our resistance through trust in God. It also suggests a criterion for discerning between true and false prophets: true prophets do not speak their own perspective, nor are they in the work of prophecy for their own gain. Rather, the humility of prophets is demonstrated in their reluctance to take on the job (Isaiah 6; Jeremiah 1:4 10). Points of resistance Moses third question (Exodus 4:1) suggests his belief that the Israelites may not do three things: they may not trust him, listen to him, or believe that the Lord has appeared to him. That Moses imagines the Hebrews might not believe him is surely understandable: God has never defeated an imperial power before; why should the Israelites believe someone who says God is about to do that now? At the same time, Moses questions the assurance that God has given him. God has declared that the Israelites will heed Moses (3:18), but still Moses doubts that they will. Moses does not yet trust God as he will need to in order to accomplish God s mission in Egypt. Though Moses question has to do with the Israelites, God directs the answer to the messenger, not the people. God gives Moses several signs, which serve to convince Moses and to persuade the Egyptians and Pharaoh, who will resist God s deliverance of his people: the staff that becomes a snake, the leprous (and subsequently healed) hand, and the water turning to blood; the first and third of these anticipate the start of the plague narratives (7:8 24). Moses fourth point of resistance is not a question but a statement about his lack of speaking ability. Again, God seeks to reorient Moses focus away from his own abilities to God s power and presence with him: Who gives GENESIS EXODUS 34 speech to mortals?... Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak (4:11 12). A timid start The book of Deuteronomy heralds Moses as the greatest prophet that ever lived, because he spoke with God face to face and accomplished God s wonders among the people in bringing them out from Egypt (Deuteronomy 34:10 12). However, this prophet s career has a timid start. After assurances that God will be with Moses and will equip Moses with the words to say, after God s declaration of God s name and nature to Moses, and after the three signs, Moses finally simply pleads for God to send someone else (Exodus 4:13). These are the last words of Moses in the scene. Moses final resistance provides the context for God to offer yet more support to Moses, in the form of Aaron. God will speak to Moses, who will speak to Aaron, who will relay the word of God to the people. As one who receives the word of another and relays it to the people, Aaron will function as a kind of prophet for Moses (4:16; 7:1). God will provide We learn as we read beyond Exodus 4:17 that Moses does go to Egypt, but we are not given an account of Moses change of mind from hoping God will send another to, finally, beginning the journey himself. What is he thinking? Does Aaron reassure him? Does he finally learn to trust God, or does he simply feel that he has no choice? Is he still reluctant, upon arriving in Egypt, or has he enthusiastically embraced God s call? The text leaves open these questions and more. But the story is clear that God has truly called Moses and that God will be with him and will give him the words to speak. God will provide everything that Moses needs. www.shinecurriculum.com Exodus 4 / 37
Building cards (from Additional resources) Shine Songbook and CD Annual Shine Songbooks CD player Blocks resource pack Bible memory poster (Exodus 20) to do Copy and cut out the Building cards from page 90 in this guide. Each person needs one. media connections You Are Special by Max Lucado Moses and the Burning Bush (Exodus 2 3) by Saddleback Kids; start at 2:40 (YouTube) Be Bold, Be Strong song for children (YouTube) God s Story: Moses by Crossroads Kids Club (YouTube) gather BUILD COMMUNITY Greet each child by name and gather in a circle. Talk about the importance of listening to one another and working together. These skills help friends get along. Give each child a Building card copied from page 90 in this guide. Place a starting block in the middle of the circle and a box of blocks near it. Read the instructions on your card to the child next to you. The child listens and follows the directions, adding or removing blocks as indicated. Continue in this fashion around the circle, reading the instructions for someone else to follow. Talk about the experience. What was easy about listening and following directions? What was hard? Would the tower turn out differently the next time? Why or why not? Work together to put away the blocks. WORSHIP TOGETHER Sing Come, Now Is the Time to Worship (track 1, page 4). Then sing Je louerai l Eternel (Praise, I Will Praise You, Lord), (track 3, page 6). SPIRITUAL PRACTICE Lead children in a silent prayer activity. Children will use one finger to draw letters, symbols, or pictures on their opposite palm during the various prayers. Don t rush. Give children time to think, draw, and pray. Say: Draw the first letter of your name on your palm. Silently say a prayer for yourself. (Pause.) Draw a picture of something you love on your palm. Silently thank God for what you drew. (Pause.) Draw a face that shows how you feel today. Tell God about it. (Pause.) Amen. Bible memory Take an imaginary walk out of the land of Egypt. Explain that the land outside Egypt is a desert. Invite children to pat their laps with a steady beat. Ask children what they might see or hear in the desert. After each response, repeat the portion of verse 2 listed below. After doing this several times, close by saying, It s hot out here! Let s stop and rest. (The entire passage is on the Bible memory poster and on page 89 in this guide.) I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt... Exodus 20:2a 38 / 6 Moses accepts God s call October 7, 2018
experience SHARE THE STORY Hand out the seven prepared Storytelling signs and speech bubbles (see instructions on page 90 in this guide). If you have a small group, some children will need to have more than one. Children should raise the sign or speech bubble high when it comes to that part of the story. Children with double-sided signs will need to turn the sign to show the other picture. Invite all the children to say ooh and ahh each time something surprising or amazing happens in the story. Read the story on page 44 in Shine On. Cue children holding signs and speech bubbles when to hold them up and, as necessary, say the words. WONDER AND REFLECT Ask children the following wondering questions. Allow response time between each question, which may prompt spoken or silent reflection. I wonder why God chose Moses. Imagine how Moses felt when he saw the amazing things God did. I wonder which part of this story is most important. Imagine hearing God say, I will be with you and help you. PEACE NOTES Moses was afraid of speaking to the people and to Pharaoh. It s common to feel afraid of trying new things, especially things that are difficult. Read the words of Moses on the Courage poster from the resource pack, as well as the words in the blue box on the poster. Give each child a sticky note. Invite children to write or draw something that they find hard to do. For instance, reading, riding a bike, swimming, talking to new people, and so on. Talk about how it feels when you re trying new or difficult things. Have children place the sticky notes on the blue box on the poster. Pray: God, it is sometimes hard or scary to try new things. Thank you that you are always with us. Give us courage when we feel scared. Amen. Moses accepts God s call Exodus 4 Shine On, p. 44 Shine On: A Story Bible Sticky notes Pencils storytelling props Storytelling signs and speech bubbles (see Additional resources) resource pack Courage poster to do Hang up the Courage poster from the resource pack. Make Storytelling signs and speech bubbles as described on page 90 in this guide. www.shinecurriculum.com Exodus 4 / 39
explore CREATE Work together to make salt dough. Mix two parts all-purpose flour to one part salt. Slowly add one part water (enough to make the dough soft but not sticky). Knead. To color the dough, add food coloring to the water before mixing it with the dry ingredients. Make enough dough for each child to have a small ball of it. Use the dough to create staffs that can be made into snakes and then back into staffs. Store the dough in resealable plastic bags. Bowl Flour Salt Water Measuring cups Resealable plastic bags Food coloring (optional) other ideas DISCOVER Add new items to the desert box. (See Other ideas in session 5.) Hide a stick (staff), a rubber or paper snake, and blue and red rocks to represent the changing water. Use paintbrushes to gently sweep away the sand to reveal the hidden objects. Cover hands with sand and then pull them back out. Reflect on what it must have felt like to see the signs that God showed Moses. Complete page 3 in the Primary leaflet to find hidden things. Primary leaflets Crayons Container of sand Paintbrushes Stick Plastic or paper snake Blue rocks Red rocks Discover some helpful tools for Moses. Go to www.shinecurriculum.com/extras for a free word search. Use a variety of wooden staffs to make music: rhythm sticks, unsharpened pencils, short sticks from a tree, craft sticks, chopsticks, and so on. RETELL Retell the story in popcorn fashion. See page 91 in this guide for instructions on making ten paper popcorn balls. Place the balls in a bowl. Invite children to choose one or more balls from the bowl until the bowl is empty. Unwrap the balls and work together to put the story in order. Once the story is in order, number each paper from one to ten. Then have children crouch down and curl up as if they are popcorn balls. Call out the numbers in order. Children pop up and read the words on their piece of paper when their number is called. Keep popping up until the whole story is told. Popcorn retelling (from Additional resources) Bowl Pencil LEAFLET God called Moses to a challenging task. Look at the church jobs on page 2 in the Primary leaflet. Use crayons to show whether something would be hard or easy to do. Complete the word puzzle on page 4. Solution: 1. staff, 2. look, 3. throw, 4. snake, 5. Israelites. Solution on bush: SHOW and TELL. (God wanted Moses to show the signs to Pharaoh and tell him to let the people go.) Primary leaflets Crayons Pencils 40 / 6 Moses accepts God s call October 7, 2018
bless PRAY Gather for a prayer. Pray: God, thank you for being with Moses and giving him a helper when he felt afraid. You are with us, too, in good times and in hard times. We love you. Amen. leader s closing prayer SEND Quietly play We Are Called (track 13) as you offer a blessing to each child. Say: (name), you are deeply loved and called by God. Go in peace. Make sure to send leaflets home with the children. God calls each of us and gives us the gifts needed to answer that call. Share your gifts freely. Know that God is patient when we fear failure. God also empowers us to move past that fear to do what feels impossible. Rest in the knowledge that God loves you and promises to help and guide you. God, when I fear the tasks ahead, draw near. Give me courage, hope, and strength to face the tasks at hand. Amen. Primary leaflets Shine Songbook and CD Annual Shine Songbooks CD player To be blessed means that God is involved. I use blessings to help children and others feel worthy. I have felt blessed by children when they demonstrated in their childish manner that they cared about me as a person (not just as a teacher). Blessings are specific, sincere, gentle, caring in manner, and focused on the individual. Penny Jans Beaver Crossing, Nebraska www.shinecurriculum.com Exodus 4 / 41